HEADS were hung low among the Sydney FC players as they slowly moved from the changing room to the team bus after they had bowed out of the finals in dramatic style against Wellington Phoenix.

Perhaps it's the exuberance of youth, but Joel Chianese, despite sporting a spectacular shiner on his right eye, was still smiling.

Not because he wasn't disappointed - he most surely was - but he's got that happy-go-lucky nature about him. It's a personality that's going to endear him to Sydney fans for years to come.

He has already become one of their favourites, having scored twice against the Newcastle Jets on the final day of the regular season to clinch a finals berth.

He banged in another brace on Friday night in a three-minute stretch, single-handedly elevating the Sky Blues from the depths of despair to the brink of a miracle. Alas, the ever-present thorn in Sydney's side all season, Paul Ifill, would draw a penalty out of Michael Beauchamp and send Sydney back home with nothing to show.

But such has been the form of Chianese, scoring six goals in nine games, the 22-year-old admits he didn't want the season to end.

''I was really enjoying my time with the boys and really getting my confidence up high and it was my first finals series as well,'' he said. ''It was a new experience for me and I was really looking forward to moving on to the next few stages [of the finals]. It would have been fantastic but it's not to be.

''It didn't look like I was going to get any goals and then suddenly I had two in a couple of minutes and suddenly we were back in it.

''We were on a roll at the end there. We looked like we might have had them rattled a bit. If we had of held on until extra time, I think we'd have had a great chance to beat these guys. We were probably the fitter team and we looked like we were on top and then one silly mistake and things can change so quickly.''

Rapidly changing fortunes don't faze the former Blacktown City junior, however, for that's how his season has panned out. He made his debut only in February and, before then, he was worried the club would try to off-load him. Now there's every chance they'll be fielding six-figure offers for his services in the coming months.

''I didn't know what was going to happen at the end of the season. I did have a two-year contract but whether I was going to be here, nobody knew,'' he said. ''I'm glad I was given the opportunity and that I was able to make the most of it. I worked really hard at training and in the games and just did my best for the team. When you do that, it's funny - you end up popping up in the right positions and goals go in.''

Chianese said he was ''wasn't so much worried but more very frustrated'' about not getting a go until late in the season.

''I was doing well in the youth team and knew the coaching staff were watching those games, but you've got to be patient,'' he said. ''It's frustrating when you see the boys travelling around and you're not really involved at all but, when I did get my chance, I just wanted to do what I could.''

The pacy forward puts much of his ease at the senior level down to his budding partnership with Bruno Cazarine, which has been forged in the traditional tall-and-small mould.

But the relationship could be ended shortly with the Brazilian's contract expiring and Sydney failing to offer him new terms. Cazarine wants to stay, and Chianese wants him to stay, but there's already an offer from a rival A-League club which could scupper any hopes of forging something for the long term.

''It's pretty tough for a few of the players who don't have contracts for next season and the club won't talk to anyone until we've got a coach settled in, which would be really frustrating if you don't know your future,'' Chianese said. ''Hopefully they do get given a spot.''